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If you follow us on our social media feeds you might have noticed some particularly stunning builds and photos from BESPOKE CYCLING – LONDON. The ladies and gents at Bespoke Cycling do an amazing job, fitting, building and delivering Moots builds to their customers. Below are just a couple of builds that are now out in the world collecting miles under some pretty happy riders.

All photos by: Bobby Whittaker

Psychlo X Disc.

Always in good hand with Chris King hubs.

Beautiful speed.

Mooto X RSL with 1x 11 & Lefty fork.

On your left.

Ready to fly.

Visit Bespoke Cycling for more images and Moots information in the London area.

This beauty came through the other day and really started thoughts of brown ribbons of goodness running through my head. It’s early spring in Steamboat and our trails are still under snow, but that first trip to Fruita is not that far off.

YBB What?

Over the years the YBB has morphed from a 26” wheeled-U brake equipped steel bike in the late 80′s with a rigid fork, then onto titanium in starting in 1991. As technology improved we had v-brakes and tubeless wheel sets in the late 90′s, which led to disc brakes and then 29” wheels in 1999. All the while the YBB (why be beat) sat just behind the seat tube using its 1 1/8” of rear wheel travel to soak up and take the edge off hundreds of thousands of trail miles under riders world wide. It’s a simple system, or maybe it is to us because we’ve been building them for so long, but if you are looking for a no-nonsense, low maintenace cross country single track slayer, look no further. Today the tubing is bigger in diameter, thinner in wall and is more refined than those early YBB days. Advances such as thru-axles, dropper posts and super dialed group sets put this bike into a super performance category. There is also wheel diameter choices to be had….we make them around 26”, 27.5 and 29”, something for everyone.

We are continuing our pull through the heart land and will have demo days with Moots dealers along the way. Come out and test ride road, mountain, cross and gravel bikes from Moots! We have a sprinter van full of dialed bikes in many sizes and models. Jeremiah Gantzer from Moots HQ will be on hand to talk titainium and everything Moots. Read below for dates, times and locations.

These days it’s all about the meat. That is, tire size and how big can you go in your road bike? “Gravel” is the buzz word as of late and the bike industry has jumped into this full-boat. You and many here at Moots have been venturing down the path less-traveled on our road bikes for years. With a little thought about what tire you run, pressure settings and making sure you have the right repair kit with you, those dirt & gravel roads can be all yours.

Today we are looking at Nate Bradley’s 2015 Vamoots. Nate manages our mitered shop where he along with Willy & Pete cut every bike we make. So he knows a thing or two about bikes and bike set up. Did I say he rides a lot? He does.

Now, the Vamoots name has been with us since 1993 and over the years has changed a little. Current Vamoots geometry provides for a more upright postion, less reach for a given size vs. the older model, a touch longer chainstay and just a bit more drop in the bb. This set up lends itself to a fantastic ride across many different surfaces. Add in the fact that the Vamoots can handle up to a 29mm tire and you have yourself a cobble crushing, dirt road, chip seal, pavement- eating machine, that can carry you all day in reasonable comfort. No crazy frills, just a machine that will take anything you can throw its way ride after ride.

Let’s take a look at Nate’s Vamoots, which he has opted for a few changes from the stock model:

The tall arch of the SRAM Red Aero Link brake makes for nice room above the big tire. The Moots road fork has plenty of room as well.

The Speedplay Zero Pave give better clearance for dirt/mud and some days snow build up.

Press Fit bb30 is an option on the Vamoots. Nate chose it to take advantage of a lighter crank. BB by Chris King.

Rear brake clearance.

We make our own stuff……#builditride SOPWAMTOS lives!

Fall in love with big road tires! Clement Strada LGG in a 700 x 28.

Tried and true. A good frame pump will never let you down….and you’ll always be the most popular person in the group when others flat. Topeak Master Blaster is a hot favorite around the Moots building.

Now that the Ranch Rally registration is open, we’ll be posting some updates of course conditions as the snow leaves and equipment needs that will make your day at the Ranch Rally all that more special.

Our road warriors are still at it after the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show and are now rolling into Texas. We have 4 demo events planned with our dealers. We hope you can make it out for some quality time with Michael Loomis from Moots. He’s got a van full of our lastest bikes in many different sizes. Read below and come out and ride!

It’s time to Rally! Back for its second year, we are gearing up for the Moots-Colorado Ranch Rally. For the 2015 addition we are enhancing our swag bag and improving on the Saturday evening social at Moots with more and better food items, and maybe most important, more beer! We are also aiming for 150 riders so we can write the Community Ag Alliance a much BIGGER check. Sign up and pass this around to your riding friends.

The named roads of the Ranch Rally.

Now in its second year, the Moots Colorado Ranch Rally is a 50 mile cyclosportive held on the dirt and gravel roads around Steamboat Springs. Just 5 miles of the route are on pavement. The other 45 miles feature rural dirt and gravel roads that connect area historical ranches. You will pass by historic Elk Mountain Cemetery, climb up to Mystic, touch the Wolf Mountain area and descend down Deep Creek before the rolling hills of County Road 52E and finish it off with a small climb over Fly Gulch. Enjoy a stunning day on the bike.

One of the roads-less traveled tha make up the Ranch Rally.

The event starts and finishes at Moots World Headquarters. This is a non-timed, non-competitive ride. You can ride at your own pace or that of the group around you. There are no awards other than seeing the amazing countryside around Steamboat Springs and meeting some great people along the way. When you enter the event you will also be entered into the drawing for a MOOTS ROUTT frame. (choice of 7 stock frame sizes)

Moots is partnering with the Community Agriculture Alliance (CAA) to showcase the importance of the local ranches in our area. All proceeds from the event will go to CAA.

This route will pass several Centennial Ranches of Routt County, which means they have been in the same family for at least 100 years. Lunch will be served at a working ranch that is on the route. Later that evening we will meet at Moots HQ for an evening of factory tours, “adult beverages”, hors d’oevures and the drawing for the Moots frame.

We are limiting the event to 150 riders, first come, first serve. SIGN UP NOW to make sure you have a spot in this event that is sure to become a Moots Classic.

• Evening social at Moots HQ from 4pm to 7pm that evening (frame drawing, beers, good food, fun times).

WHAT YOU NEED

Recommended equipment:

Road Bikes: Yes, you can do this route on a road bike. However we recommend new tires and no less than a 28mm tire.

Cross Bikes: Yes, you can do this route on a Cyclocross bike. Stick with a tire of 30 or 32mm that is a semi-slick tread.

Mountain Bike: Yes, you can do this route on a mountain bike. Recommended tire on a mountain bike would be a 1.5’’ width.

Along with the above you will need a good working pump or Co2 set up…2 spare tubes and small seat bag tool kit.

The event will be run on open public roads that have minimal traffic. There are no painted center lines so it will be of most importance to obey all traffic laws while on the route. We will have one main support stop about half way around the route but will rely on you to be self-sufficient at fixing a flat tire and fueling yourself. There will be snacks and drinks at the main support stop as well as an assortment of mechanical supplies if you need them.

The event will be held rain or shine. Come prepared.

Rules of the road

• • Please be safe and remember that safety is in your own hands and ride by these rules:

• • This is not a race but a timed tour. Ride within your means. If you haven’t ridden in a large group before don’t.

• • Wear a helmet at all times – NO EXCEPTIONS

• • Carry ID and relevant medical information

• • Rules of the road apply; same rights and duties as the driver of any other vehicle

• • Ride single file where necessary, maximum of two abreast when conditions allow, do not impede traffic. Ride as far right as reasonable

• • Obey all traffic lights, signs, and regulations.

• • Pass on the left only, announce “passing” or “hello” or “on your left”

Riding dirt roads on road bikes or cross bikes is nothing new to cycling. Located in Routt County Colorado, Steamboat is situated at 6700’ feet above sea level at the foot of the Continental Divide that shoots up to 10,000 + feet. The county itself has about 600 miles of unpaved dirt and gravel roads vs. the 159 miles of paved roads; this offers us many options and the chance to get up close to amazing views on the road less traveled.

The Moots Vamoots RSL for Pedalers Fork was honorable mention in the Campagnolo build catagory. It also featured the first shown to public etched finish from us.

Just back from NAHBS (North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show) and we wanted to post some up-close photos of the new finish option we are going to offer and set the record straight about when this will be avaiable, how much it will cost and what is possible with this new option.

Down tube logo.

To start, all the work is being done in-house here at Moots. We want to have full control of quality and lead times. This point is very important to us as we have see over the years with bringing most of our machined parts in house. Not long ago, we bought a plotter to create the masks in-house as well as a dedicated blasting cabinet that will only be used for this finish. This way we can continue to blast frames at a normal rate and also etch the new finish options without disrupting our flow.

Chain stay

WHEN CAN I ORDER?

We will begin taking orders around May 1st for this option and this will add about 2 weeks to normal delivery times.

WHAT CAN I GET?

To start we will offer our normal placement locations on our frames, stems and seat posts. With the etched option the customer name is included on the top tube if they like.

PRICE?

Final price TBD.

REFINISH OPTION?

We can and will offer to refinish older frames with this option and that will add the etched option price onto the top of the refinish cost. Price TBD.

At this time we are not offering any custom graphics outside our normal decal locations.

Moots is returning to the host city of the 2013 Cyclocross World Championships, Louisville, KY March 6th-8th for the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. We would like to invite you to make the trip and stop in at the Moots booth to see what we have built for the show. We have been working with a few Moots dealers from around the country on 5 fully built bikes for the booth. These bikes are built with a customer in mind and will be delivered to those dealers just after the show.

Super Gravel racer for MOAB.

We have worked with some of our great dealers around the country to bring you some fantastic builds with some new twists. As we get set up and get under way with the show, we will be bringing you details on each. What you can look forward to are:

It’s fast approaching road season for most of the world. Roads are drying out, snow banks are shrinking and longer days are starting to help with the mid-winter blues. We know there are still winter storms to come but we are pretty excited to stretch our legs and start getting those early season miles. It’s the time of year to get your bike dialed, whether it’s the old rig that needs some TLC or that new Moots build you have been dreaming about for ages.

We shot this little piece to somewhat dissect the build of a Moots road frame. 22 titanium pieces into the frame to complete a build no matter if it is the Vamoots RSL, Vamoots CR, Vamoots or the Vamoots DR. 22 items that are painstakingly sweated over to make sure all the details shine through when you put power to the pedals this spring. Starting by sourcing US materials throughout, from the masterful shapes our miter shop impresses on each, to welding that is metal art to a final finish that is trademark Moots, we are making sure that the ride quality of your Moots road bike is the finest you’ll experience, ever.